The engineering world revolves around math, with every important part in a design involving complicated arithmetic. For the longest time, the time before a product could be released depended heavily on how fast the math team could get their work done, which often took ages to finish due to human processes and checking for mistakes. However, the arrival of the mechanical calculator completely changed that, reducing time drastically while improving efficiency at the same time. This invention was almost like the discovery of fire in how important it was to the math and engineering world. Tune in to see how these old calculators operated with their rotating dials and cylinders!

When most people think communication, they often think about the phone that they have in their pocket. However, communication didn't start off like that, and was actually just based on a language of dots and dashes, and by a bunch of wires and a device that looked like a complex hammer. Telegraphs are the basis of all communication today, showing that instant, long communication is possible no matter how hard to understand it may be at first. Tune in to learn about how a simple system grew to connect countries around the world!

In this episode, we'll talk about of the first vehicles that connected distant regions, directly contributed to the huge economic boom of our times, and basically built us to where we are today, We're going to discuss the steam trains that used the simple process of heating water to move materials across continents, how it happened, and their impact on the world.

Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/technology/history-of-technology/Steam-locomotive

https://www.gcrailway.co.uk/about/engine-shed/locomotive-workings/

https://steamgiants.com/wiki/answers/how-a-steam-locomotive-works/

https://www.theengineerspost.com/locomotive-boiler/

https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/62943-fastest-steam-locomotive

https://nationalrrmuseum.org/union-pacific-4017-big-boy/

https://www.trains.com/trn/train-basics/abcs-of-railroading/how-a-steam-locomotive-works/

https://www.american-rails.com/